• Scot loses 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 to Janko Tipsarevic in second round
• Attempts more aggressive style of play before US tournaments

Andy Murray's attempts to serve-and-volley more against Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic, in preparation for Master Series tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, were only partially successful. Photograph: Nousha Salimi/AP

Not for the first time Andy Murray may discover that candour can turn into questionable wisdom, after he admitted he used his second-round match in the Dubai Open to try out new ideas. Although his 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 setback against Janko Tipsarevic had a wonderful finish in which it seemed Murray might cheat defeat at the last moment, the Serb was the lowest-ranked opponent to whom he had lost in 10 months.

"I was trying some things out and it was a good learning experience for me," Murray said, explaining why he had served-and-volleyed more than usual against the world No39.

He also attacked from the baseline with more frequent hard-hitting combinations to supplement the cagier stuff for which he has become famous, and advanced more to the forecourt during rallies.

"It's not the end of the world," he said, laughing at a suggestion that he might be frustrated at the loss. "If it had been a slam, my tactics and game style would have been a bit different."

When this triggered an allegation that it sounded as if he had used a big-money tournament, in which he will have received a large six-figure appearance fee, merely for practice, Murray went on the defensive. "I am not using it as a practice session – I said at the beginning that when I am getting ready for big events you need to try something out," he said, referring to next month's Masters Series tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.

"I have been asked for years to play more aggressive, and when you play more aggressive you make more mistakes. That's bound to happen."

Murray did get caught up in the passion of a match in which he fought back obstinately in a climax full of great rallies with 5,000 people screaming their lungs out, when it seemed that he may have been experiencing confused objectives. At the end he cracked his racket on the ground in fury.

By turns Murray had been passive, determined, fatalistic, confident and annoyed in a match in which he almost saved the first set from 5-3 down. He looked as though he had saved the third set from 4-1 down and again did not, somehow letting it slip from 30-15 up on his serve.

Just as important as his performance level is his physical condition after he had aches and pains in back, hip, knee and groin on Monday. "I felt a lot better in the first, that's for sure," he said. "It just takes a few matches, few long practice sessions, and you're back to how you were."

But he has not had those few matches, which suggests there is plenty to do before Murray is fully fit for the one-month swing in the States.